Starting my OCC Shoebox Today!

The other day, I challenged you all to fill a shoebox for an Operation Christmas Child in another country to send out at the end of the year. And just so you know that I am filling my own shoebox (along with my kids' boxes) I'll be keeping you updated with pictures on how it progresses and hopefully fills to the brim! I have a $5.00 out of pocket goal for this challenge in order to keep it cost effective and to help those who are filling multiple boxes. It doesn't need to cost much to reach a child for the Gospel. However, please feel free to spend more as the Lord leads you.

Funny enough, my husband had ordered some shoes over the weekend and they came in the mail today! So, I decided to use his shoebox for my challenge. (I don't think he'll mind!) It's a large box from Timberland, so it will allow me to pack it full with LOTS of goodies! Before I show you my progress though, I have to shoe you the inside of the box. It just struck me as pretty cool...

I opened it up, took the shoes out and here's what it said on the bottom!

I couldn't have come up with a more appropriate tagline. I've decided that God must've chosen this box for this challenge. ...really, I don't know, but it seems to fit well with the theme. I'm so often challenged in my own personal walk with the Lord to keep my perspective on God's Kingdom, rather then this temporary world. With one shoebox, I can further His Kingdom through the life of a child. And if we all fill a shoebox, imagine how many children can hear the wonderful news of the Gospel!! That's a pretty good footprint to leave.

So, back to filling up the box... I looked through my toiletry stockpile and found a few items that would go perfectly in my shoebox. Here's a picture of what it looks like now.

I know, still pretty empty... but I have until November to pack it full! And now onto the cost factor:

Here's my cost breakdown for these items:

• Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste: ($1.00) This was a money maker deal for me, so I'm actually in the negative! Woohoo!!
• Reach Toothbrush: $0.00
• ChapStick 100% Naturals: $0.00
• Yardley Bar Soap: $.69

I'm at -$.31 so far.

How are you doing with your shoebox? If you'd like to blog about filling an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox and link back, please let me know and I'll add a linky to the bottom of my posts! I'd love to see lots of participation in this fun challenge!!

For more details on how to fill an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox, Click HERE.

FREE Flip-Flops Offer!

Victoria's Secret is offering FREE Flip-Flops with your PINK purchase. Just use the code FLIP4FREE at checkout and your flip-flops price will be adjusted to free.

*This offer is valid through 5/19/2011.

Shop through ShopAtHome.com and get 2% cash back on your purchase.

$1 Old Navy Flip Flops on Saturday (5/21)!

Old Navy will be practically giving away Flip-Flops this Saturday from 7am - 9pm! You'll pay only $1.00 per pair. This is the time to stock up on flip-flops for the summer! I'll pre-warn you that this sale usually brings quite a crowd, so you may want to get there early for the best selection in colors and sizes. Click HERE for details.

(Thanks, MoneySavingMom!)

Flip-Flops are a great item to put inside an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox! Find out about our OCC Shoebox Challenge HERE and start filling your shoebox today!

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Challenge!

For years, our family has loved participating in Operation Christmas Child. It's a fun way to reach out to a child in another country with the Gospel of Jesus. And if you have children, it's also a way to teach them about giving and ministering to others. Each year, my three children love to fill a shoebox for another child around the world. They typically choose a child of the same sex and age range as themselves. This way they can relate to what they would like to have as a special gift and give it to someone else.

For me, couponing and Operation Christmas Child go hand in hand. Many of the items you might place inside a shoebox are FREE at drugstores or very inexpensive. In fact, I've heard of groups of ladies working together with coupons to fill 25, 100, or more shoeboxes in a given year. This idea has inspired me to reach out to you (my readers) to fill just one shoebox this year. If you have children, please feel free to fill more than one! Maybe this is the year that your little ones can learn about giving to others.

So, here's my challenge to you (in list format because I like lists!):

1. Go to your closet and grab an empty shoe box. If you don't have a shoebox, you can often find one at a local shoe store (just ask the manager) or purchase a $1.00 plastic shoe storage box at Dollar Tree, Walmart, or Target.
   
   
2. Start looking through your stockpile of toiletries and add one of each of the items listed below to your box. If you do not yet have a stockpile, now is the time to start watching the Walgreens and CVS Weekly Deals posted here each weekend before the Sunday sales start.
   
   
3. Print out a label for your shoebox to determine if you will be buying for a Girl or a Boy and then check off the age range you would like to buy for.
   
   
4. As you shop at Target, be sure to check out the $1 section for great small gifts for children in your child's age range. Dollar Tree is another great store for $1 items like YoYo's, puzzles, coloring books, balls, etc. If you shop over time, you won't need to spend a dime at the end of the year - when money is usually tight.

By November, you should have a filled box! And you probably will not have paid much more than $5 for it. Now, you're ready to drop it off at one of Operation Christmas Child's many Drop Off Locations. Just look HERE for one near you. (This list will be generated toward the end of the year with national drop-off day around mid-November.)

To help you get started, here is a list of typical items you can place inside of an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox and often get them for FREE or very cheap.

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Deodorant
• Bar Soap (mild varieties such as Dove, Olay, etc.)
  
• School Supplies (i.e., colored pencils, crayons, pencils, small pencil sharpeners, markers)
• Batteries for Flashlights
• Hard Candies, Gum, Mints, etc. (Not out-of-date)
  

Click HERE for some tips from Operation Christmas Child on what can be included in a shoebox - as well as what should not be included.

All it takes is one shoebox to reach a child with the Gospel! I hope you'll consider taking on this challenge. Throughout the rest of the year I will be posting Operation Christmas Child (OCC) deals to help you fill your shoebox and save money at the same time.

If you would like to participate in the OCC Challenge, please leave me a comment. I'm excited about this new ministry that we can take on together! And I hope that this will encourage and motivate you (and me) to be active givers toward God's Kingdom. Sometimes, we just need a practical way to give, and I can't think of a simpler way to give using coupon strategies and blessing others through our stockpiles!